Euv mask and pellicle assembly

Abstract

Provided is a pellicle assembly that is sufficiently conductive in cooperation with a photomask that is mounted to the pellicle assembly to protect the pellicle and mask from electro static discharge.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a pellicle assembly having a membrane and to be mounted to a photomask (mask) having a scan surface with an outer region;   one or more assembly mounts to attach the pellicle assembly to the mask at the outer region, wherein the one or more assembly mounts facilitate sufficient electrical conductivity between the pellicle membrane and mask scan surface to at least be electro statically dissipative between the mask and pellicle assembly when they are attached.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more assembly mounts include conductive fasteners to be adhered to the mask at the outer region through a conductive adhesive. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the conductive adhesive includes a binder with conductive filler particles. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the conductive filler particles include silver particles or platinum group metal particles. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the conductive filler particles include material particles coated with a platinum group metal film. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more assembly mounts include conductive stud/fixture pair fasteners. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein a stud from the stud/fastener pair is to be adhered to the mask, and a fastener from the stud/fastener pair is part of the pellicle assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pellicle assembly includes a frame that is formed from a substrate used to build the membrane. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the membrane is mounted to a border structure that is mounted to a frame through conductive adhesive mounts, the frame to be connected to the photomask outer region through the assembly mounts. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the border is formed from a substrate used to build the membrane. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a photomask having a scan surface; and   a pellicle assembly having a membrane, the pellicle assembly mountable to the photomask to pass EUV light through the membrane to the scan surface, wherein the pellicle assembly is mountable to the photomask through one or more assembly mounts, wherein there is sufficient electrical conductivity between the pellicle membrane and mask scan surface to at least be electro statically dissipative between the mask and pellicle assembly when the pellicle assembly is mounted to the photomask.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more assembly mounts include conductive fasteners to be adhered to the mask through a conductive adhesive. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the conductive adhesive includes a binder with conductive filler particles. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the conductive filler particles include silver particles or platinum group metal particles. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more assembly mounts include conductive stud/fixture pair fasteners. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the membrane is mounted to a border structure that is mounted to a frame through conductive adhesive mounts, the frame to be connected to the photomask through the assembly mounts. 
     
     
         17 . A system, comprising:
 a photomask (mask) having a pellicle assembly, wherein the mask has a scan surface, and the pellicle assembly has a membrane, the pellicle assembly mounted to the mask to pass EUV light through the membrane to the mask scan surface, the pellicle assembly being mounted to the mask through one or more assembly mounts, wherein there is sufficient electrical conductivity between the pellicle membrane and mask scan surface for electro-static dissipation;   an EUV radiation source;   an illuminator to illuminate the EUV radiation through the membrane onto the mask scan surface; and   a wafer platform to support a semiconductor wafer to be scanned with radiation from the photo optics box.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising a photo optics box to receive radiation reflected from the photomask and to direct it onto the mask scan surface. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more assembly mounts include conductive fasteners to be adhered to the mask through a conductive adhesive. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the conductive adhesive includes a binder with conductive filler particles.